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The Benefits of Tummy Time

The importance of placing babies on their bellies when they are awake

Developmental movement

Tummy time is important because that's when babies do specific movements that support healthy development of their brains and bodies. These are ordinary movements that stimulate normal brain and body development. They will happen naturally if baby spends enough playtime on his tummy.

Baby builds important connections between his brain and body when he moves on his tummy. These movements organize his brain for optimal performance. If baby moves and plays as much on his tummy as on his back, he can establish the basic brain organization and motor skills that enable him to roll, belly crawl, sit, crawl on all-fours and then walk with coordination and strength in his first year. These same early movements later help him to master academic learning and creative expression. Moving and playing on his tummy, baby lays the foundation for intelligent and organized brain and body.

Brain development

Tummy time supports

Vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste, kinesthesia and movement
Integrated reflexive movement
Progress from simple to complex cognitive functions
Rich neurological pathways in the brain
Connection of right and left brain
Brain compatible learning

Tummy time provides a foundation for

Speech and language comprehension
Flexible attention
Capacity to learn from experience
Ability to remember
Academics, including reading, writing and mathematics
Pattern recognition and creation

Physical development

Tummy time improves

Muscle and bone strength
Digestion
Spinal alignment
Coordination
Capacity to fall safely and to maintain balance
Ability to progress effectively from floor to sitting, to crawling and to walking

Psychological development

Tummy time fosters

Healthy sense of self and others
Initiative, persistence and mastery
Trust, comfort and confidence

Tummy time builds healthy habits of

Balanced rest and activity
Independence and dependence

Helping babies do tummy time

Pediatric craniosacral therapy, developmental movement therapy and chiropractic care can significantly help:

Babies who had long births or very fast births, and/or difficult births
Babies who are crying and uncomfortable most of the time
Babies develop neck strength
Babies move their heads freely from side to side
Babies increase overall tone; including premature babies
Babies get comfortable on their tummies

Tummy time and safety

Tummy Time for Play is a necessary practice that complements Back to Sleep. Tummy time for play is a safe learning activity. Make sure the surface you place baby on is firm enough that he can push up with ease, and rest his head down without any soft material around his mouth and nose. Take normal care to arrange the space and watch over your child's play. If baby falls asleep in tummy time, roll him gently to his side and then on to his back. Be careful to roll him slowly so he doesn't startle. Particularly, babies with the following conditions need to be watched during tummy time so that you can roll them over if they fall asleep:

2-3 week old babies who cannot hold up their head for more than a few seconds when prone
Babies with low tone or low birth weight
Premature babies
Babies with difficult presentation in birth, or with long and/or difficult births
Babies who have been exposed to cigarette smoke in utero or as infants
Babies who are at risk of overheating or over-bundling when sleeping
Babies with marginal nutrition in utero or after birth
Babies with Down syndrome
Babies who have been drug exposed in utero
Babies who can only turn their head to one side
Babies who are generally crying and uncomfortable most of the time
Babies who are held very little
Babies with drenching night sweats
Babies who have not spent any time on their tummies

Best practices for parents, providers and practitioners for babies' optimal development through movement, touch and relationship

Catherine Burns, RSMT, IDME, CST

Developmental Movement Therapist, Craniosacral Therapist

612/332-7459 � Catherine@MamaBebe.org

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